The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-10
The Strange and UnaccountabIe Disappear<
ance of the Thirteen People Who Went
Voyaging in the Bark Marie Celeste.
Jeffersonian Simplicity Exemplif7ed By
Rag Carpet in the White House. Y
Condition of the Growing Crops as Shown bf
the Monthly Report of the Agricultural
Department-Other Washington News.


The Weird and UnexplasnabIe Story or tho
Disappenrance OF q irteen People,
Special to the Indianapolis Journai
WASHINGTON. July 8. Hearing from all over
the world, as we a." said State Departments
official to your correspondent the other day, .sw<
naturally come across some strange stories in,
the course of years. But the weirdest and m3etaa
uraccountable story I have ever heard os is that
Of the Marie Celeste All The facts and narticu-f
lars to the minutest detail are recorded IA thig3
department; and although some years havsi
elapsed since the occurrence took place and.
every effort has been made to clear up tho
mystery, no explanation has ever been found to4
clear up the extraordinary story. Ten yearr4
ago the Marie Celeste, sailing vessel, left the
port of New York with thirteen souls on board. /
Among the passengers were the wife and Ittle4
child of the master OF the vessel She had al
valuable cargo on board and was bopnd toVill94
Franche. the Medterranean. "a oHtwardlS
bound British bark sighted the Erie Ceiesso 4
when she had arrived at about thrse hundred
miles west of Gibraltar. The bafaus siena1ed4
the Celeste ard was surprised to recefvb nd
answer. Thinking this strange. the Britiahsrs
bore down upon Ahe vessel and with spy-glasses7
made a close examination or her. deck Not q
sign of life was to BE seen. A.
strange feeling Of uneasiness spread through
the Of the bark A boat was lowered, and
the captain, with crew Of picked men. pulled fd1
the Marie Celeste. Arrived at her side they
joined in loud halloo in the hope OF attractine
attention. There was no response. All was si4
lent the tomb The captain. followed by hisA
men, clambered up the side to investigate tho4
meaning of this unnatural Stiffness and They'll
commenced thorough search Of the vesser In
the sheets was hanging the weekly wash Or tho
III - - - -
places from the davits Every rope and every
spar was in its place. Not a marling spike was
missing. The pinnacle and compass were ia-
tact Descending the fore hatchway q half eat
en- meal was found upon the seamen's tatle- /
Proceeding aft to the masters cabin the remains
of interrupted dinner were seen there also.
In one corner of the room was a sewing machire5
with little garment stiH under the needle, an<Is
lady's th;mble lying on one corner of tha ma
chine as if she had~sssss6 "a astsa~sasrsE~s o.
-.A-..a,Tne The, masterss chfonometsr Va
.ouSa ~ -. accustomed plac9 Tne mates 20
80 -. hano;ne in their staf afe-rooms- Evstys ~
was in perfect e.der.- BIT where was the crew
Not trace of the thirteen people who had left
New York so short time before uas TO be found.
They had mysteriously and completely disap-
peared The log book, in which the last entry
was dated, 40 hours before the arrival of the
Britisher, showed that the voyage had been
favorable one. They had encountered no storm
Pirates and murder were out of the question.
There was no sign Of a struggle No valuables
were missing Where and why had the crew
left the vessel2
"The Marie Celeste was taken to Vilied
Franche and her cargo safely transferred and
the vessel was taken back to her owners in New
York. News OF the strange disappearance OF the
ill-fated crew was sent TO the State Department.
and from there made known to all the United
States representatives abroad, with the request
that they inform the respective governments to-
which they were accredited Of the facts. I'M
this way the news was soon made known in,
every custom-house of the world. Every means,
possible was taken to have the mystery cleared
up but TO this day il remains unsolved. 1t is g.
singular coincidence, nothing more" continueds
my informant s'that the Marie Celeste ulti-'
mately came to violent end. She WAS en-
ployed as a trader between New. York and
Cuba. In March. 1885, her master insured her
heavily, placed on board quantity Of barrels OF
water and few tubs OF molasses, of which her
cargo was supposed to be composed. took hey
down to Cuba and there committed barratryf
running her ashore and wrecking her complete3
ly. His trial for this offense is to come oH
soor, and it is probable that all the facts in the
history of tho Marie Celeste will be developed
in the course of the trial.